Read my article on Foster Carer Allowances on CYP Now
CYP Now - We’re debating the wrong problem in foster carer recruitment - CYP Now
Foster carer recruitment and retention specialist, Rolfe Pearce says instead of debating the wording of an advertising campaign poster, we should tackle the financial and structural barriers to becoming a foster carer.
In any environment where there is competition for people, marketing becomes more prominent - and more direct, says Pearce
I’ve spent nearly 15 years in foster carer recruitment. Before that - and alongside it - I was a foster carer myself for 10 years.
When I saw the recent debate around Croydon Council’s fostering posters, highlighting payments of up to £932 per week per child, I wasn’t surprised by the reaction.
I’ve heard it all before.
Concerns that it commodifies children. Worries that it attracts the “wrong” people. Arguments that fostering should be promoted through values, not money.
These are valid perspectives, particularly from care-experienced individuals, whose voices must always be heard and respected.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: We’ve been having this exact debate for over 20 years. And it hasn’t solved the recruitment crisis.
Every few years, a campaign leads with finance, and the sector responds in the same way: we question the messaging, we debate the ethics, we talk about values.
And then…nothing changes.
While we are debating how fostering is marketed, we are largely ignoring why people are not coming forward in the numbers we need.
What happens in reality
There is a persistent concern that leading with money will attract people who are motivated by financial gain rather than the needs of children.
In theory, that’s a risk.
In practice, it’s not how the system works. It’s why we have an assessment process, fostering panels and experienced assessing social workers.
Motivation is explored in depth. It is challenged. It is tested. If someone is not suitable, they are not approved.
Even in the rare cases where someone progresses with the wrong expectations, the reality of fostering quickly corrects that. Fostering is demanding, emotional, and complex. It is not something anyone sustains for financial gain alone.
In over a decade as a foster carer, and nearly two decades in recruitment, I have never met someone who fosters because of the money.
But I have met many who could not foster without it.
In fact, the biggest barrier I now see is not motivation, it’s affordability. I speak to people every week who would make excellent foster carers - people with the right values, the right stability, and the right capacity to care. But they simply cannot afford to do it.
The cost of living has changed the landscape and households are under pressure. For many - particularly single carers - fostering is no longer financially viable, even if they want to do it.
An uncomfortable truth
We are far more comfortable debating the ethics of advertising than we are confronting the financial barriers within the system - because changing a poster is easy, but fixing affordability is not.
If we are serious about increasing the number of foster carers, we must focus on what makes a difference. Right now, affordability is one of the biggest factors preventing people from saying yes.
This is not about turning fostering into a financial proposition. Nor is it about ignoring the importance of purpose, belonging and care. Those are, and always will be, the reasons people foster.
But we also need to be honest – without sufficient financial support, many foster carers cannot start, and some cannot continue. Money is an enabler, not the motivator. And unless we start treating it as such - openly and honestly - we will continue to lose people who might otherwise have stepped forward.
Transparency on money matters
One of the most important conversations I have with prospective foster carers is about how fostering works financially. Particularly with those who are on benefits, where there is still a widespread belief that fostering is not an option. It is, but that message is not always clearly communicated, so we lose people because they assume they cannot afford to even consider it.
A more serious consequence – than a debate on marketing - of getting this wrong is when a placement breaks down because a foster carer cannot afford to continue.
I have seen carers quietly absorb costs themselves - dipping into savings, even pensions - to make things work for the child in their care. That speaks volumes about their commitment, but it is not sustainable.
If we are serious about providing stable, long-term homes for children, then financial sustainability has to be part of the conversation from the very beginning.
The system behind the messaging
Foster carer recruitment operates within a system where local authorities and independent fostering agencies are, in effect, competing for the same carers.
In any environment where there is competition for people, marketing becomes more prominent - and more direct.
This is the context in which these campaigns sit. When there are not enough foster carers, and demand continues to outstrip supply, every provider - public or private - is under pressure to reach people who may not otherwise come forward.
Marketing is one of the only scalable tools to do that. So, we see stronger and more direct messaging – and sometimes, messaging that leads with financial clarity. Not because the sector has lost sight of its values - but because the system is under strain.
What actually helps one child
For me, the question we should be asking is not should we advertise money, it is: what will increase the number of safe, stable foster homes for children? That is the outcome that matters.
This debate - however well intentioned – has been running for decades, yet it hasn’t created more placements, reduced shortages or helped one child find a home.
We need to move beyond recycled debates and start focusing on the real barriers. That means:
- Being honest about the financial realities of fostering
- Ensuring carers are supported to provide sustainable care
- Removing the practical barriers that stop good people from coming forward.
Until we address those issues, no campaign - no matter how well designed - will solve the recruitment challenge we face.
- Rolfe Pearce has been a foster carer recruitment and retention manager for local authority and independent fostering agencies